Skin Care Tips

Skin care is an important part of life, but many of us find ourselves confused and overwhelmed about where we should start, or what products are the right ones. So, what do we use? What’s the best choice, and what’s hot in the world of skincare?

Frankly, there’s no best option, it’s like chocolate, we all happen to have our favourite? And just like chocolate, your skin will inevitably have its favourite. As a beauty advisor, I recommend what I believe will be the best suited for your skincare needs depending on your skin type and your skin concerns.

What’s hot in the world of skincare?

Retinol: super popular for anti-aging, provides an even skin tone and sometimes used for acne. Retinol is super high in vitamin A, comes naturally in vegetables like carrots, considering such it should go without saying rubbing a carrot on your skin isn’t going to provide the same effect. Retinol also assists with cell turnover, acting as a natural exfoliator. By the same token, Retinol can result in more sensitivity to the sun, so use sunscreen of course! Furthermore, Retinol can cause dryness so I tend to advise those using Retinol to take a break after long periods of time.

Hyaluronic acid: this is also a big one, Hyaluronic acid sounds a little harsh, but let me assure you’re not putting actual acid on your skin. Hyaluronic acid is found naturally in the skin, but its levels begin to decrease in your 20’s and by age 50 we’ve lost as much as 50%. Hyaluronic acid plumps up our skin which helps with those little fine lines that we don’t want others to see, so by age 30 we need to start adding it back in.

One other important topic of discussion is the difference between serums and moisturizers. This is a huge question which often results in plenty of confusion.

Serums are more concentrated and they penetrate deeper into the skin, whereas a moisturizer rests on the top of our skin. If you’re someone who doesn’t want multiple steps, I always advise my clients to start with a moisturizer first and then add in serums as you go. Cleansing is a huge part of skin care, but I urge people not to use anything on the face that’s not formulated for it, or use moisturizers under the eyes, eye creams are a completely different topic altogether. We’re trying to keep our skin up right, while using heavy creams on the sensitive eye area is actually dragging them down lower over time.

Skincare can seem confusing and overwhelming; nevertheless, once you find the routine which works best for you and your bank account, you’ll feel significantly better about how your skin looks. When our skin is happy, we’re happy.